Illuminated license plat



Nov. 23 1,926.

F. WLROHRS ILLQMINATED LICENSE 'PLATE Filed March 22,1926

' 4 mim Cooo Nov. 23 '1926;

F; w; RoHRs ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE v med Marchl 22, 192@ 2 sheensasnm "i" Fig. 3 is a top'view of same.

reut Nov. 23, A1.926.

4:i;.; 'iai'fr :n' STATESA PATENT OFFICE-v.

i FREDERICK W. ROHRS? 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

XLLUMINATED LlICENSE PLATE.

Application led AMaxv'ch 22. 1 926. Serial No. 96,599. i

lly invention has as its 'irin'cipal purpose to render standard automo ile license plates, as. issued, clearly visible at night. I am aware that devices for this purpose have been 5 suggested before but the means proposed.

.have been of rather complicated or'umber'- some nature and have nevercoine into use to any large extent. lMost of such devices require special plates` and light boxes ofv special construction. Theessence ofi-my inrention'lies in the' adaptationof standard plates for illumination, using the standard 'plate brackets and tail Vlights lsuch as are of vstock nature with allautomobiles. The 'license plate will be-.perforated toy outline .the usual indicia and will preferably be pro'- videdwith a colored backingl sheet. lThe standard tail light Will -be so disposed throwing a downward ray in font of the license plate, as is, usual, this light will be thrown to the rear of the plate. In the accompanying drawings: u Fig. l isa front View of a license plate v` l and tail light in the adaptation according to.

my invention. t

- Fig. 2 is a rear View of Fig. 1 showing a common manner of attaclnng the backing sheet. Y

\ Referring to the drawings lOrepresents a` 'standard license plate having the customary indicia outlined by means of perforationsll. In' Figs. 2 and 3,' 12 represents a backmg actual practiceI prefer to. use non-friable material suoli as Celluloid. Onemethod of attaching the hacking sheet is shown in Figs. 2'and 3 and it will be noted that here the lateral and'bottom edges, 13 and 14 respectively, of the plate arebe'nt backwardly and inwardly and these inturned edges serve to engage the margins of the, backing s heetl. `:fsflhns treated the license late forms what might Vbe termed an open aced envelope for receivingthe translucent sheet,

relaj tive to the .license-:plate that instead of `lar to frame 20 between the sheet and the i'nturned edges.

Tail lightsot usual design include a -front window 22 and a bottom and somewhat latsheet of colored translucent material and inv The usual horizontal plate supporting armV is represented as 15 and this is carried in the usual manner by a body-attached bracket 16. Such arms are ordinarll provided with slots 17 coinciding With-similar slots 18 of the li cense plate andthe t-Womenibers are connected by bolts 19. -In carrying out my in vention these boltsmay ormay net be omitf ted, as other means are provided for securing the two elements together.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown an open' frame 20 conforming to the margins of the vlicense plate andbeing secured theretoby bolts 21. '-,The margins of lthe transparent sheet l2 are securely lgrasped and held between the frame, and the margins of the li-A censev plate.

Fig. 5 backingl sheet to thel license plate which con# stitutes a'combi'nation of the two methods shows a `method of securing the above described. .According to/this emhodiment, the edgesof the license plate arein turned as 1n Figs. 2 and 3. and engage the extreme margins of the backing sheet. In

order that thelatter may be more firmly rei tained in position, however, aframe 20. simi- ,of light metal 1s lnterposed erally directed window 23. Customarily these lampsI are attached to tl1e;,plate supporting arm by means of a bracket attached to the rear of the lamp so that light from window 23 Willbe directed over -the front face of the license plate. .l 'propose to modify by removing such attaching- 'providing a clamping'strip 24' this structure bracket and surrounding the body of the lamp intermediate the twowindows. Thisfclamping strip 24 is attached at lits extremities 25 by means of bolts 26 tothe supporting arm l5 in such 'a manner that the plane of the license plate stands 'between the two .windoivs Inv this manner -Window22 performs its usual funclill) tionl of casting a signal tothe rear ofthe automobile, While window 23 instead of illaminating tlie'front off-the plate throwslight tothe rear thereof. c In.y assembling the -units if no backing sheet is to be used, the armi/5 is merely placed in' coincidence with the top inner..

margin'of- Vthelicense plate and the vends' 25 of the clamping strip 24am arranged with .their apertures in alignment with apertures 27 0f arm 15 which in turn are in aliimurienf;`r y

with similar apertures formed in the license plate. Bolts 26 are now inserted and tightened and serve as a common means for uniting the units of the combination. In Figs. 2.

and 3 the upper margin ot' the backing sheet is shown as engaed and held between the arm and the plate, While in Figs. 5l to 8 :"the upper margin of this sheet is tightly engaged between the upper member of they frame and the plate, the frame member, ot'

' course, lying between the sheet and arm 15.

its shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the ends of strip 24 are v ,provided with a number ot holes 24. liilerent sizes of lamp bodies ma vthus be'aecommodated by twisting the en s of the strip to bring the selected holes into a plane at right angles vto the plane of a simple and serviceable means` for the adaptation of standard license plates for the purlumination to the rear ot sai pose of illumination and 'while I have de'- scribed some specific aspects ot my inventhereof is to be determined-in accordance with the terms of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with an .automobile license plate, said plate'having indicia outlined thereon by means of perforations, a lamp adapted to illuminev the rear of the plate, a mounting.; element for said lamp having anattachment lug, a common arm for supporting said plate and lamp, and common attachment means for detachably securing said plate and said lug to said arm.

2. In combination with anV automobile license plate, said plate having indicia outlined thereon -by means oi translucent sheet secured directly to said plate at its rear, a lamp for su plyi'ng ilg sheet, a mounting element for said lamp having an attachment lug, a common arm for'supporting said plate and lamp and common attach-- ment means for dctachably securing said plate and said lug through. said sheet to said arm.

3. In combination with an automobile license plate, said plate having indicia outlined tliei'eonby v:means ot perforations and having its side and bottom edges turned backivai'd'ly and inwardly, a translucent sheet retained. atxtli'e rear of said plate by said inturned edges, a horizontal supporting arm coinciding with the top inner marginof ysaid plate, meansnniting saidarni andplate .through said. sheet, and a. lamp supported on said arm and adaptedV to supply illumination at the rear of sind sheet..

erforations, a`

any hand. y.

i. In combination with an automobile license plate, saidplatc having indicia outlined thereon by means of pert'oiations and having its side and bottoni edges turned backwardly, a. translucent sheet retained at the rear of said plate b v said inturned edges, a horizontal supporting arm coincid- .at the4 rear of saidplate and having its respective margins engaged by said inturned edges,` a frame member having its respective margins 'engaged between-'said 'inturned edges and said sheet, means for supporting -said plate, andmeans for supplying illumination at thel rear thereof. f

6. In combination with ani automobile license plate, said plate having yindicia outlined thereon by meansof perforations, a

llamp having front and bottom Windows,

means for supporting said plate and, lamp whereby the front Window of the latter is in advance of the front face of said plate and said bottoni window is adapted to sup'- ply illumination to the .rear of said plate,

and common attaching means for securing said plate vand lamp to said supporting means.

7. In combination With an automobile license' plate, said plate having indicia outlined thereon by means of perorations, and

a lamp having frontand bottom Windows, a

ion

horizontal supporting arm coinciding with the upper margins ot said plate, a clamping stripI surrounding said lamp intermediate said windows, and common means for securingsaid plate and ends of said strip to said arin.

8. In combination with a supporting arm, an automobile license plate secured thereto, said plate having indicia outlined thereon by means 'of perforations, a lamp adapted to throw light to jeither side of the plate, a strip surrounding. the body of the lamp, said strip having a plurality of longitudinally iie lspaced holes near its ends, andmeans "for securing said strip to said arm through holes brought into a. plane'- at right angles to the plane of the strip by twistingr the ends ot the latter.

In testimony .whereof I have hereunto set .inspiraron W. noties. 

